Drawn to the more industrial and rural clientele on the east side of Paris Road, Tractor Supply Co. and D & D Pub and Grub (formerly D & D Cafe) have recently chosen to locate just east of U.S. 63, where Paris Road is also called Route B.

At more than 1,900 square feet, the Tractor Supply Co. on Paris Road has room for a lot of merchandise. It stocks tractors and tractor parts, feed, seed, fencing, bridles and dog food — pretty much anything you need for a farm or ranch. Store manager Jeremiah Wade said they make a point of not making their stores too big, though, because they want to be able to see a customer walking in the door from anywhere in the store.

“We want to be the social gathering place where on Saturdays you’ll see a bunch of old farmers leaning on pallets,” said Wade, who called himself “a country boy at heart.” Wade grew up on a farm in Harrisburg.

The store wasn’t busy on Wednesday morning, April 27, but the customers there spoke to the clientele the store is trying to serve. In muddy boots and worn jeans, Curt Krause, 47, and Jason Brush, 35, were there to buy a post pole digger. They work in landscape services at MU.

Marvin Tomlin, 64, has lived in the Columbia area his entire life. He has a farm near Hallsville, is a Vietnam veteran and is retired from Columbia Water and Light.

“I came out here to look around and get some tools,” Tomlin said. He bought a pack of three wrenches and said hello to every group of customers who walked in the door. He said he knew them all.

On Saturday, April 30, the store will hold its grand opening. Wade said most activities will be held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Missouri Cattle Association will be grilling food, and the Columbia Police equine unit, a car show and a 4H club will also be at the opening, Wade said.

Five weeks ago, Dawn Thompson moved her restaurant, D & D Cafe, from 21 Ninth St. downtown to its current location on Paris Road and changed the name to D & D Pub and Grub.

Instead of being across the street from The Blue Note and next door to The Butterfly Tattoo gift shop, her restaurant is now adjacent to a gas station and down the road from the new Tractor Supply store, a Pepsico plant and a Kraft plant.

Manager Jessica Ames said they moved locations so they could have a bar, expand their menu and hours and fill a need for a place to gather in the area for the people who work in factories and construction nearby.

“Everybody needs a little hometown bar,” Ames said.

While they added a bar, D & D kept everything that was on the menu before. Ames said it was a point of pride for them to have “high-quality, down-home cooking.” In addition to their breakfast menu with items like biscuits, gravy, eggs and bacon, they now offer items such as poor boys and Monte Cristos for lunch as well as a new dinner menu.

Around 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning Darren Exendine, 48, and R.J. Spruill, 29, were the only customers in the restaurant. They were drinking Coronas and playing pool after eating breakfast.

They said the breakfast was very good but the best part about D & D Pub and Grub opening up nearby was that they now had a place to go and relax after work. Exendine and Spruill work the night shift at the Kraft plant down the road.